Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to find that old green shirt you wear once a year to avoid getting pinched. There’s a variety of ways to celebrate the Irish holiday, but of course our favorite revolves around coffee — Irish coffee that is.

For those of you not entirely familiar with the cocktail, here’s the classic recipe.

Simply put, it’s a delicious mixture of freshly brewed coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and cream. The story behind Irish coffee dates back to 1942, when a new chef at the restaurant Joseph Sheridan, decided to show some Irish hospitality to Americans arriving by boat in the cold winter months. It was common in Ireland to put a little whiskey in tea to keep warm, but knowing American’s affinity for coffee, it dawned on the chef to mix coffee and whiskey instead, and thus Irish coffee was born.

Ten years later the Buena Vista restaurant in San Francisco decided to recreate the Irish classic, but it was no easy task. It took several attempts to finally become satisfied with their American version of Irish coffee, but the persistence was well worth it. Currently, the restaurant serves about 2,000 Irish coffees daily.

Today Irish coffee is fairly well known in America, so naturally, restaurants and Irish coffee enthusiasts alike have created their own twists on the signature beverage. Some people use espresso instead of coffee. Be warned, this might overpower the smooth taste of the Irish whiskey but we’ll let you be the judge.

Other alterations include adding small amounts cinnamon and nutmeg, for simple-yet-flavorful touch. Another suggestion is to add chocolate ice cream and chocolate fudge for a decadent sweet treat.

No matter which flavors you choose to emphasize in your cup of Irish joe, be sure to use premium coffee blends for the base of the drink. Our quality k-cups are the perfect ingredient for your Irish coffee endeavors, and they’ll be delivered to your doorstep hassle free. Happy brewing, and Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, meaning so is the challenge of finding a thoughtful gift for your significant other. Rather than scrambling last minute to buy a generic present like flowers or chocolate, take a moment to discover a unique experience that you and your loved-one can enjoy together — Coffee Cargo.

What is Coffee Cargo?

At Coffee Cargo, we only supply coffee blends that are rare, organic, single origin, and/or limited edition. Enjoy a 3 month box subscription, and have three of our k-cup coffee roasts delivered to your door monthly. Many of our selections support local artisan roasters around the country, giving you an elite coffee experience that you can’t find at a big box store.

Order online today and say ‘I love you’ by sharing a steaming cup of premiere java with your valentine this month. Be sure to use promo code, LUV49 at checkout to receive $5 off your order. Shop Now and spread the love!

THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our first-ever Holiday Sweepstakes. We appreciate all of the efforts from those who tweeted, shared, emailed, shared, liked, pinned, etc. Expect this to be the first of many ongoing contests and sweepstakes from Coffee Cargo. Alright so let’s get right into it. If you won, you were notified by one of the team members from Coffee Cargo via email already. Just in case, below are the winners along with their designated prize levels. Again thank you and let’s keep on discovering a better cup into 2015!

Marilyn S. – 12-month subscription + k-cup brewer

Lucia C. – 12-month subscription + k-cup french press

Megan R. – 12-month subscription

Karen C. – 6-month subscription

Zella S. – 6-month subscription

Sharon L. – 3-month subscription

Lynda A. – 3-month subscription

Verna K. – 1-month subscription

Meghan F. – 1-month subscription

And the following people were in the top 10 of the Leaderboard. Each of them will receive a free 15-cup coffee box for their amazing sharing efforts:

Keith K.

Kim K.

Heaven R.

Dawn L.

Jean T.

Brian B.

Leeanne D.

Theresa F.

Steve R.

Katrina W.

Kirsten P.

Patricia S.

If you did not win, keep your eyes out for some amazing last-minute holiday deals we’ll be sending out this week via email or posting on the coffee subscription box plans page.